[unimaginative2]

I count 21 station collectors on the sunshine list making over $100,000 a year.

 

[Dilla]

Yes, over 2 million a year for 21 unskilled employees (not including costs of benefits). I've been told (I know it's hearsay and conjecture) that many of them arrange things so that they make just under 100 000, as they don't want their incomes reported.

 

[Redroom Studios]

unreal... $125k isnt enough so he had to steal on top of it? fine example of humanity at its best! Hopefully when these guys are convicted there is some sort of repayment as part of the sentence...

 

[Whoaccio]

The only reason I would want an RFID system would be if we were moving to multiple fare structures. As long as we have a flat fare then the status quo work pretty well. Just pay minimum wage to booth monkeys. It is just about the least skilled position known to man (sitting), so I don't see how anybody can justify much more than min wage. Just add more token machines (at least every entrance should have one) and get turnstiles that can read transfers.

 

[Second_in_pie]

I believe my friend has an uncle who used to work as a ticket collector at the TTC. His average work day was 8 hours, and every thursday and saturday he worked sitting on a chair to count people passing through the subway. He made about $100k a year.

 

[Voltz]

I believe my friend has an uncle who used to work as a ticket collector at the TTC. His average work day was 8 hours, and every thursday and saturday he worked sitting on a chair to count people passing through the subway. He made about $100k a year.

There was no way he made that kind of money without working overtime.

 

[Second_in_pie]

There was no way he made that kind of money without working overtime.

He probably was, but I still find that outrageous. If I was him, I'd take all the late night shifts and play mario on a gameboy when nobody's at the station

 

[hkric88]

P r e s t o

 

[GraphicMatt]

I'm a huge fan of eliminating fare collectors ASAP. They can do it. Fare evasion shouldn't be regarded as a big deal, either - there's little chance the losses incurred from slightly increased rates of fare evasion would be greater than the savings from eliminating these positions.

They want to increase security at stations anyway.

 

[AGTO]

Fare evasion shouldn't be regarded as a big deal, either

just look at the 501 streetcar, it's free.

 

[afransen]

You could even outsource fare collection, and you would undoubtedly receive a higher standard of customer service at a substantially reduced cost.

 

[lead82]

but removing fare collectors would improve service and efficiency at the stations by eliminating lines to enter the station. We cant have the ttc saving money to spend it on more service.

 

[toraerach]

Just pay minimum wage to booth monkeys. It is just about the least skilled position known to man (sitting), so I don't see how anybody can justify much more than min wage. Just add more token machines (at least every entrance should have one) and get turnstiles that can read transfers.

There should be a stationmaster at each station to manage everything about it (maintenance, staff, etc.) who makes a decent wage with benefits. Other staff would depend on the station. Downtown and other busy stations should have some sort of customer service position who is expected to be knowledgeable about the system/city, personable, and helpful. This would be a higher-skill job requiring or at least preferring:

1) First aid knowledge - in order to help during an emergency
2) Second language skill - for all those tourists, and once the TTC has enough second language speakers, they can set up a network between stations (so if a Chinese tourist at Dundas station needs help in Mandarin, but the customer service staff member there speaks Spanish, he/she can call the customer service staff member at Union who can speak Mandarin, etc.)
3) Knowledge of the city's geography, especially the immediate area, and knowledge of the transit system - GO, TTC, MT, etc.

Since these staff members would have to be somewhat skilled, they should be paid more than minimum wage. A high turnover here would eliminate skill, and let's not forget this would often be a thankless job dealing with thousands of customers a day including a fair number of a**holes - they would need incentive to stay. Which, I feel, is unlike current booth attendants who honestly are easily replaceable.

 

[CodeMonkey]

I believe my friend has an uncle who used to work as a ticket collector at the TTC. His average work day was 8 hours, and every thursday and saturday he worked sitting on a chair to count people passing through the subway. He made about $100k a year.

There was no way he made that kind of money without working overtime.

If it is true, I'm switching professions.

 

[lordmandeep]

The thing is many booth collectors are not skilled highly trained people.


Yet they still make money as if they were.


I went to Sherborne station and I left at 8am and the lady at the booth was just reading her book not paying attention. Came back at 2pm and she was still doing the same thing.


So she is getting paid 20-25 dollars and hour to read a book...